


Household Planning

by TundrainAfrica



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Children, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Happy Ending for Levi, Married Hange Zoë/Levi, Mommy Hange, Post-Canon Fix-It, daddy levi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-09
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:48:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27462952
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TundrainAfrica/pseuds/TundrainAfrica
Summary: "It was Levi's household. The plates were arranged and sorted by color and use, the way Levi liked it. The cabinets and the storage were arranged in a way which would be efficient for cooking, or at least the way Levi would have wanted to cook."Levi gets sick and Hange is left to navigate household chores.
Relationships: Levi/Hange Zoë
Comments: 17
Kudos: 161
Collections: Levihan Domestic Verse (Tundrainafrica)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Thi is set in the same domestic post canon verse as Rough Day and Sugar Rush for people who have read those.

"You're taking a week off?"

Hange wished no one would be there when she dropped by the queen’s office to give the letter. It was painful as it is to fathom what the next week would be like. Making her way to her familiar office in civilian clothing and seeing Historia there in the room only added salt to the wound. 

“I’ve asked Armin to take over first. It will only be for a week at the most,” Hange explained. 

"No. Take as many days as you need. I don't think you've even taken the day off since the war ended." Historia gave Hange a reassuring smile as she placed the letter back in the envelope.

Hange was sure the queen would give the week off with no arguments. Queen Historia had always had been understanding about any excuses related to family. Somehow, the response had come as a big surprise to Hange. As she walked out of the office and into the courtyard, she felt the late afternoon breeze seep through the cotton of her civilian shirt. It felt oddly nostalgic and Hange was reminded that she had not taken a day off in years. 

“It’s not like I’m gonna be resting anyway.” Hange muttered to herself as she made her way through the courtyard and into the main road to call for a taxi. 

"Where to, Ma'am?"

“Paradis Central Hospital.” 

* * *

_20 hours earlier_

Levi was usually the one who opened the door for her when she got home. That night, she was surprised to find their seven year old Luke by the door waiting for her. 

“Shouldn’t you be asleep? Where’s daddy?” Hange asked as she helped her son stand up. The young boy’s eyes were drooping and Hange was sure he would fall asleep as soon as she put him to bed. 

“Daddy’s asleep.” 

“Really?” Hange glanced at the clock on the mantle as she carried Luke to his room. 

It was only a quarter to nine and she had known Levi long enough to know he would never be asleep at that time. In fact, most nights he was the one who would welcome her home. He would be cleaning, organizing or mixing tea in the kitchen while she showered and got ready for bed. She always fell asleep to the clatters of plates and mugs, the clanks of pots and pans and the opening and closing of cupboards. Funnily, she always woke up to them too, a testament to the odd sleeping patterns of her partner. 

Luke had fallen asleep in her arms. Hange lay him gently on his bed and put the blanket over him. As she turned off the lights and closed the door behind her, Hange was made aware of the fact that the house was unnaturally silent without the sounds of Levi tinkering with something in the kitchen. She hurried to the bedroom she shared with Levi to find him on the bed, his back to the door. 

“Tiring day?” 

Levi was a light sleeper. Some nights when Hange did wake up next to him, she could usually elicit a reply or reaction from him with almost any sound no matter how soft. At that moment though, Levi was not responding. 

She approached the bed, letting her footsteps resound loudly on the wooden floor under her. He still did not react. Levi was covered up to his chin with blankets. Not wanting to disturb the set up, Hange rested her hand on his cheek, only to recoil at the heat being released. 

_How was he this morning?_ Hange felt a twinge of guilt when she realized she did not remember much of it. She had still woken up to the same banging of pots and pans and a full breakfast. There was nothing out of the ordinary. 

"Hey, are you okay?" Hange asked, as she shook him lightly. 

"Just… need to rest." Levi did not open his eyes. In fact, his face tensed as he said those words and Hange guessed that that slight effort was already causing him pain. 

_How much pain was he in?_ They were both soldiers in another life and they both had higher pain tolerance than most people. It had set off some alarms inside her and Hange was considering calling a doctor then and there just to be on the safe side. 

_Am I overreacting?_ The last time Levi had needed medical attention, they managed in the middle of the forest with a little first aid. 

Hange changed into her pajamas and settled on the bed next to him. 

She scooched closer to him. The heat emitted from his body alarmed her but Hange reassured herself by focusing on the rhythm of his rough breathing. He was still very much alive.

“Just make sure to tell me if the pain gets worse. ” Hange whispered. 

Levi let out what sounded like a whimper. A wave of concern washed through Hange. She put her arms around her partner, hoping that even just a little she could absorb the heat that was resonating from his skin. 

She let the rhythm of his breathing lull her to sleep. 

* * *

When Hange woke up again, the sky was still dark. The sound of birds chirping just outside the window was enough though for Hange to conclude that it was at least late enough that the sun would rise soon. 

“Good morning,” Hange whispered. His body was not as hot as it was the night before and Hange found herself squeezing her partner lightly in relief. “You scared me last night.” 

“Hange…” 

Hange unwrapped her arms from around her partner and sat up. “You okay?” 

Levi curled up into a ball, his arms wrapped around his stomach. “My stomach...hurts…” 

Hange had seen Levi in worse situations in the battlefield but never in her life had she seen him so vulnerable. She had brushed off her worry the night before but as she took in her partner, lying curled up like a ball, the ragged breathing and the uncharacteristic whimpers, Hange conceded that she could not take the risk of omission. “Levi. I’m sorry I’m calling a doctor.”

Hange wished Levi had protested the whole set off. At the least, she wished he were conscious or aware enough to even notice a sleepy and confused Luke next by his bedside. He was lying prone on the bed as the doctor put his shirt up and ran his hands through the stomach area. 

Hange’s blood ran cold as she watched Levi squirm in pain at lightest touch. She had worked with injured soldiers long enough to know it was a common symptom of internal injuries. The question that lingered was how exactly had it gotten to that point.

“This doesn’t look good Mrs. Zoe. We're going to have to get him to a hospital quick. He might need emergency surgery.”

“Do what you need to do.” 

Hange walked out of the room and sat her son down on the living room sofa. She could hear the doctor making his way to the phone, quickly dialing a number and a few seconds later, he was rattling off vitals. 

Hange had a fair amount of experience with first aid but the science and technology brought back from Marley was a tall order for her to master and Hange had to admit she probably would have only understood 70% of what the doctor had told the paramedics. 

She spent the next few minutes explaining the situation to her son Luke over a quick breakfast and while walking him to school. Luke had ended up late as he had asked too many questions. 

_Why didn't daddy make breakfast?_

_Where are they taking daddy?_

_Are you okay mommy?_

By the time Hange made it to the hospital, Levi was being prepped for surgery. He was completely unconscious as they unbuttoned his pajamas and switched it with a hospital gown. 

Hange stayed nearby just in case he did wake up through it. She occupied herself by marveling at the improvements made in the hospital and the new developments by Marley. It was her first time back there for at least three years having shifted her focus into railways and street car installations. A nurse put a needle through his wrist which was attached to a bag on a rack. Hange had forgotten the name of that invention but deduced that it was to get medicine into his system. 

"How long will he be in surgery?" Hange asked. 

The nurse shook her head. "We don't know the extent of the damage yet but internal bleeding of this severity should take at least two to three hours."

 _Internal bleeding. That usually meant certain death in the field._ Hange could not help but think, if Levi had experienced that sickness only just a decade ago, he would have been dead. 

"Thank you for all your hard work," Hange said. 

She resigned herself to the fact that she would have to wait out until news on her partner came out. She made a brief detour to the outdoor payphone to call sick for the day. Armin would be able to take over anyway, he was very familiar at least with the plans Hange had for the transportation route through the city. 

Hange could not shake the feeling that she would be missing out though. Her best ideas always came when she was in the office looking through blueprints and construction updates. 

She willed herself to dial the familiar number of her office and explain her current situation. 

Armin who had answered the phone was understanding and had given genuine well wishes to Levi. When Hange went back to the waiting room though, she started to reflect on the fact, that maybe the one who did not want the day off was just her. 

As she sat back on the chair of the waiting room and looked up at the blank ceiling of the hospital, Hange knew she was miserable. 

She was left to do what she had not done in years, sit idly by and wait .

* * *

"A burst appendix with abscesses around his stomach area. It was pretty bad, a very high risk of infection. We will need to monitor him for at least a week and he'll be on a strict antibiotic plan for a while."

 _An appendix._ She knew that organ. It was the useless organ yet it caused so much damage in Levi's system. "How long will he be…"

"We set up a room for him. He'll be staying for at least a week since we will need to monitor signs of post surgical infection and possible surgery again. He's not out of the woods yet."

Hange followed the doctor into one of the rooms on the third floor, noting that there were a lot more nurses making their rounds on that floor. 

A nurse was there putting the covers over her partner when Hange arrived in. Her stomach dropped as she saw the tubes that all connected to some part underneath the blankets. Even for dying soldiers, she had never seen that type of medical treatment before and maybe if it hadn't been on Levi, she would have marveled at the medical technology involved in keeping the patient alive and maybe even asked the doctor about it. 

At that moment though, her thoughts were all on Levi, how much he remembered, how much pain he was in and most importantly, if he were going to live through it. 

Hange walked to his bedside and put her hand underneath the blanket, feeling for his hand. His hand was limp but it was neither too warm or too cold. She grasped his hand tighter, focusing on its warmth as a reprieve from the events of the past few hours. 

"Hey four eyes, where's Luke?" 

"He's in school…" Hange rubbed her eyes, still adjusting to the waking world. 

"His classes are until 11. It's 1pm."

Hange sat up and look at the clock at the end of the room. "Wait what?" _How long have I been just sitting here?_

Levi was half sitting up on the bed, conscious but groggy, looking particularly surprised. "Did you forget our kid?"

The realization of what had just happened dawned on Hange a split second too late. By then, Levi’s eyes narrowed into an accusing glare, a quick change from that of disbelief only a second ago. 

Hange felt blood rush into her face "I’m sorry. A lot has been happening. You're stuck in the hospital… I don't know what to do…"

"Son first. Questions later."

* * *

The next question, Hange found herself tackling was where to take Luke. It was an obvious logistical choice yet it took Hange enough brain space that she ended up cringing at the state of her mind at that moment. 

She had considered leaving him at home but could not come up with someone who could stay with Luke at a last minute request. She knew she would probably be with Levi for a while in the hospital, possibly until late night. It was a risk, leaving a child with a sick parent in a hospital ward but it at least trumped the idea of leaving him alone at home. 

Somehow, leaving Luke with a sick, possibly immobile Levi, still seemed to be enough to give her some peace of mind. 

"You promise to stay good, okay. Daddy needs rest," Hange said as they stood in front of the door to his room. 

"Promise." 

The promise was short lived. As soon as the door opened before him, Luke ran towards Levi's bedside and Hange had to grab him as he motioned to jump on the bed next to him. 

"Daddy!"

"How was school?" 

"I was the only one there. I thought nobody was going to pick me up."

Levi sneaked a glare at Hange with their son's last statement. 

"Sorry Luke. Mommy got carried away. Daddy's going to be sick for a while and there was a lot to think about." Hange hugged her son from behind.

"How long will daddy be here?"

"A week at least," Levi answered. 

_So the doctor at least explained the situation to him._

Levi still looked like he was in pain and Hange wondered how much of his motions were a front he was putting up in front of their son. 

"Mommy and Daddy need to talk. Could you give us some space?"

There were nurses all over the floor and Hange was sure at least one of them would have the time to take care of a kid. It was a quick search and within a few minutes of going out into the hallway, she at least had the peace of mind that someone was taking care of her son. The fact the nurse was helping with homework was an added bonus. 

"I feel like shit," Levi admitted as Hange entered the room once again. 

"You're doing great. I thought you'd be asleep the whole day to be honest."

"I don't think I'd even be able to relax anymore. Imagine waking up to realize my wife forgot about our kid."

Hange gave her husband an apologetic smile. "Just give me a list of everything I need to get done, everyday. While you're here. I'll get it done."

"Don't you have work?"

* * *

By evening, Hange had filed her leave for the week, she had her to do list on hand and Luke was at least distracted with toys she had just bought him from the gift shop next to the hospital. 

Her first challenge was dinner. She had the cooking skills but the way everything in the household was sorted out made Hange hesitate to touch anything. 

It was Levi's household. The plates were arranged and stalked by color and use, the way Levi liked it. The cabinets and the storage were arranged in a way which would be efficient for cooking, or at least the way Levi would have wanted to cook. 

In the cupboard, they were so tightly stacked on top of one another that Hange feared that she would break something just by pulling something out. 

Hange sighed, resigning herself to the fact that she was still left shocked by the events of that morning.Less than 24 hours ago, she would not have imagined having to learn to navigate the household all by herself.

_I'm gonna need a while to adjust._

"Luke, we're going out to buy dinner."

* * *

"What do you want for breakfast?"

"Omelette!"

_30 minutes to eight. Luke should be in school by eight._

"It's pretty late for an omelette… What about bread?" In fact, Hange did know Luke liked omelettes. She did not want to admit it to her son yet but although she had spent a fair half an hour looking through the kitchen, she could not find the eggs. 

The only food stored places within reason were the bread and the fruits which were displayed in a basket and a bowl on the kitchen table. The bread was covered in cloth, neatly folded when she found it though. As she put back the bread after eating it that morning, she could not recreate that same intricate folding pattern Levi had done. 

"There were eggs in the fridge."

_Where? Who puts eggs in the fridge?_

Hange chose to pretend to ignore it. "Let's just get you to school. What time do I need to pick you up?"

"Two." Luke was avoiding her gaze and Hange could tell he was trying to hide disappointment. 

"I'll take note of that." Hange took a pen from her kitchen table and wrote the time on her wrist. "Just eat this for breakfast." She wrapped a piece of bread on paper and dropped it in his bag. 

_It's my first time having to be the one to cook breakfast, of course there will be a few bumps._

* * *

"I didn't know where you put the eggs so I just gave him bread for breakfast."

"Where did you think the eggs were?" Levi asked, not even trying to hide the disappointment in his gaze. Hange inferred that it could have also been from the meager breakfast he was given that morning of pudding and fruit which Levi was mixing as he listened to the developments that morning. 

“I looked everywhere, the cupboards, the storage, I even checked our bedroom.”

“It’s in the refrigerator.”

“And that’s what Luke said. I checked it after dropping him at school but it wasn’t there.” 

“I put it towards the back so it wouldn’t break if it ends up accidentally falling out.”

The new refrigerators that came from Marley were a welcome improvement to the icebox that most people in Paradis were used to. Having busied herself with other things, Hange never really bothered to learn its different compartments. It looked like Levi did not want her to learn it either. The latter had preoccupied himself buying them at the best bargain when they were finally available and had spent a fair amount of days since they got it, organizing and reorganizing all their spoilable goods.

“Why do you put your eggs in the refrigerator? Even if you leave it out, it won’t go bad.” 

“It’s an animal product, you don’t know what it touched.”

Levi had researched his household plan well and Hange only appreciated it more when Levi took a pen and paper and drew the fridge compartments, perfectly from what she had remembered. He explained the contents compartment by compartment, with the rationale for each.

“Why don’t we keep the eggs in the compartments by the fridge door? You cook them everyday.”

“The sudden temperature changes can make the eggs go bad faster.”

“Why put vegetables in the lowest compartment?”

“Vegetables in the drawer below because this compartment has higher humidity levels for fresh produce.”

Levi made sense. Hange had done her fair share of experiments to quickly understand Levi’s logic behind everything. She was still taken aback by how far he had thought ahead and how meticulous the whole process of organizing the refrigerator was for him. It almost made her hesitant to take anything out of the fridge for fear of destroying any part of the intricate plan Levi had set up for all their spoilable goods. 

Levi dropped the pen and sighed. “So I’m assuming you didn’t get any cooking done if you still don’t know where everything is. What did you pack Luke for lunch then?”

* * *

Levi probably would not have approved of Luke enjoying a late lunch of two soft serve ice creams and a slice of bread. That was the only way Hange saw herself pacifying the young boy who looked to be on the verge of crying and shouting at his mother when she picked him up from school. At the same time, the reminder from Levi was enough for Hange to at least have enough motivation to remember to show up on time to pick him up. 

“Don’t tell your father about this.” She muttered, as she led him through the market. Levi had left her a grocery list before she left to pick up Luke from school. At that point, she was determined at least to not fuck up the grocery shopping. 

_Another tray of eggs, bread, spinach, oranges, apples._ The list was straightforward. When Levi and Hange had planned the list, they considered the easiest things for Hange to prepare, cook, eat and store for the next week while Levi’s fate was still undecided. She only had to buy enough for the two of them at least. 

The markets were designed that all types of produce and goods could be caught with one loop around the market. In thirty minutes, Hange had gone through everything on the list. 

As Hange made her way to the exit of the market, she felt a tug on her hand. “What are you looking at?” Hange followed her son’s gaze to see the tea and coffee shop on the side. 

“Daddy might want tea.” 

“What makes you say that?” 

“He only has three more bags left at home.” 

* * *

Hange had dreaded the process of storing the food she had bought. She imagined having to empty the fridge and make wild guesses on where Levi would have wanted each product and whether or not she angled them in a way where it would be most convenient for those who opened it and less likely to spill.

Levi had explained a lot of it to her but many parts of it were going quickly into one ear and out the other due to the detail he put into such mundane concepts. She found that the crazy amount of detail and the fact that she possibly left things out, had left her blank at what exactly to do when she opened the refrigerator door. 

“Daddy likes the stem facing outwards.” Luke pointed out as he grabbed the spinach from the bag and put it inside the half open vegetable drawer.

“The eggs?”

“You have to push the cheese out of the way when you put the eggs in. Tray opening facing outside...”

Hange at least knew where the fruits and the bread went. She lined up the fruit bowl and the bread basket on the kitchen table and added the fruits she had bought from the market on to the pile. 

Luke reached out for the oranges on the top and distributed them evenly towards the edges of the bowl. “Daddy said it might fall if you let them sit unevenly on a pile.” 

Hange unfolded the cloth on the bread basket and put the bread inside. She attempted once again to fold it similarly to what Levi had been doing before. Luke scooched closer to her and Hange could only gape as Luke deftly folded it into the same tight pattern she had seen it in that morning.

“Daddy taught you all of this?”


	2. Chapter 2

“You’re strong enough to make it to the payphone now at least.” 

“Only barely, the nurse is pushing the wheelchair."

Hange smiled. It had been four days since his surgery. There were good days. There were also bad days, bad enough for Hange to have to manage her expectations on when things would go back to normal. 

She knew it was a long shot. When the doctor said Levi would be in the hospital for a week, she had expected that that meant she could go back to working as soon as her leave was up. 

When the doctors tried to get Levi back into physical activity though, Hange was made aware of the harsh reality of the situation. His wound was deep. The infection that ravaged through his digestive system had left its mark and Levi was finding it hard to eat or even sit up for long periods of time. 

She sought solace in the small bouts of progress that came with each day, the food trays that got emptier and emptier every time she visited, the amount of time he spent sitting up which only increased as the days went by. The breakthrough came in the form of a surprise phone call, and Levi’s voice seemed stronger and clearer than it had been the past few days. 

"I'll be there after I drop Luke off at school."

"You made sure to pack his lunch?" 

"I won't make the same mistake again."

She made sure to pack Luke dinner as well. Luke was going to be staying over in a friend's place for the weekend. Her son had been more than enough the past few days to help her understand Levi's cleaning habits. 

He was still seven years old though and no seven year old was supposed to be teaching their mother how to manage a house. 

She had made that weekend a project for her. Levi was due to be discharged by Monday and the least she could do was try to make the house spotless herself. 

She kept that part a secret though as Levi drilled her on how to do laundry using the washing machine he had bought a year back. 

_The white bottle with the green cap is bleach, you only use it for white clothes._

_Separate the lights and the darks._

_Leave it out to dry outdoors or it will stink up the whole house._

She spent her Saturday alone going through all those points as she did the laundry. 

Levi had mentioned separating the lights and darks on three separate occasions when she had mentioned her intention to do the laundry. The whole process had gone smoothly peacefully enough that Hange had more than enough of a mindspace to think and reflect on the past few days. 

_Would Luke have been able to do the laundry?_

Hange thought back to all the help and effort the young boy had offered to her. She had told Levi about it during her visits while their son was in school. 

"When you're at work, who do you think has to keep the kid company?" Levi had said back then.

It dawned on her. She was out of the house for twelve hours at a time, sometimes she was out on weekends too. She had always been on the road, jumping from project to project. She liked the long days. It helped her stay focused. Her preoccupation with her job though had left her completely clueless on household chores. 

The washing machine and the basket of clothing felt unnatural to her touch and when she emptied the laundry basket into the washing machine, she found herself wondering whether Levi would have stopped her to point something out if he were there. She still had a lot to learn. 

As she waited for the clothes to finish their cycle in the washing machine, she occupied herself by tinkering with the vacuum cleaner. 

Levi liked the floor spotless and the vacuum cleaner was a godsend for him. Hange was aware enough of this particular new cleaning tool because it was definitely one of the more popular developments next to the washing machine. Also, Hange had seen Levi using it a few times on the days she was home. 

Hange looked down at the floor as she placed the vacuum in the middle of the living room. The floor looked good enough to her. Levi though had an eye for discoloration, delible patches of dirt and a penchant for rubbing them off and Hange had come upon the realization that she owed him enough to at least try to conform to his idea of home. 

Hange did not know how often Levi vacuumed or cleaned out the house. Hange though had become aware of the slight changes brought about by his five day absence. 

Although Luke had done his part to keep the house clean, being seven years old had limitations.The upper shelves in the kitchen were slightly untidier than the lower shelves. Hange guessed it was because she could never straighten them out perfectly or find the most optimal arrangement for storage. She could not pick out the exact reason though even as she snuck glances at it between other chores. She was sure though Levi would have something to say about it. 

Hange's pile of clean clothes was smaller than she had ever seen it before which reminded her of the fact that Levi probably did laundry everyday. 

Parts of the house had started to have a faint and unfamiliar musty smell and Hänge was sure it was because Levi had left the house completely spotless before and took pains to make sure each room was aired out everyday. The initial traces of the odor could only be hints to the recent neglect. 

Hange found herself in a wistful mood as she tried to think back to her experiences in the house when everything had been arranged perfectly and the only scents that lingered in the air were those of detergent and cleaning liquids. It was the way Levi liked his home and Hange had taken it all for granted.

As Hange emptied the washing machine and brought out the clothes to dry, she found herself thinking back to their conversation with the doctor when they discussed Levi's discharge. 

_Four to six weeks. No strenuous physical activity._

_Strict bedrest._

Hange knew Levi well enough to know he would be in hell, forced to stay put in a musty and disorganized house. It would be impossible to keep him in bed 

_I could at least try._ That was where Hange even got the motivation to attempt Levi's method for double cleaning _everything._ If she could at least keep the house clean enough that Levi could rest well would be a good enough achievement. 

Going through the motions of mopping, sweeping and vacuuming were easy. Trying to calm herself down as she pondered every possible speck of dust she might have missed was what made the whole ordeal difficult. Hange had to pull herself away from the task and move on to the clothes, two hours after. At that point, she had only finished up the living room and kitchen, having made three rounds around both areas. 

The sun was already about to set when Hange decided for herself that she was satisfied with her job on the floors and on the walls. 

It was dark by the time Hange started folding the dry clothes and placing them in the dresser and she was starting to feel the emptiness of the house. The only light on was in the room she shared with Levi. She was alone with her thoughts and consequently, had enough time and space to notice Levi,'s meticulous folding method that left no creases. Hange placed the clothes she had folded next to those at the bottom of the drawer which Levi had left a while back. The two shirts next to each other only reminded Hange that she would probably never be able to replicate it. 

Her last task was her own dresser. She opened it to see her own blouse right on top, still neatly pressed, waiting to be worn.

As she looked back at the pile of clothes waiting to be folded and stuffed into the drawer, Hange became aware of her habit of just pulling out blouses and pants from her dresser first thing in the morning and just wearing whatever she could get her hands on. If she put all the clothes she had just washed right on top, she would might find herself the next morning in the blouse she wore just yesterday 

Yet, every piece of clothing in that drawer was worn a fair amount of times.

She eventually figured out how exactly Levi's system of organizing her clothes worked. Completely aware of her lack of regard for fashion and her constantly being on the go, he most likely always emptied her dresser before putting in the new clothes. Just to make sure, she wore something new everyday. 

It was a small detail. With nothing else to ponder in that dark room though, it was the one that occupied her the most because it meant something so much more than that. 

She thought back to the faint musty smell, the fruit bowl, the nights she would fall asleep to the sound of metal to wood, the flutter of clothing. She had her difficulties with parts of the house which were Levi's territory. She had never cooked, cleaned or did laundry. For the parts of the house, she did usually find herself interacting with, it was as if they were all tailor fit for her. 

Levi was aware she always took a piece of fruit before leaving and had organized the fruit bowl in such a way that nothing would fall when she took one hurriedly. 

He was aware she always took the first blouse in a pile so he made sure the one shirt on top was always the one she hadn't worn in a while. 

Suddenly, her senses were heightened and as Hange prepared to go to bed, she notice, in the small details, stark contrast between how she went about her homemaking and how Levi went about it.

As she showered that night, she noticed the lack of order in her toiletries. 

_Conditioner, soap, shampoo_

Before Levi got sick, it was always organized in the manner most convenient for her. 

As she lay in bed, she noticed the way she had evenly spread out the pillows. Levi on the other hand, had always placed three pillows close to her side, since she had the habit of hugging multiple pillows while she slept. 

She lay awake for a long time. She wanted to attribute it to the uncomfortable positioning of the pillows or the faint unfamiliar scents that plagued the house. Those were just amplifiers. 

As she rolled from side to side on the bed, trying to find the most comfortable position, Hange had started to become aware as well of the cold spot where Levi used to sleep. 

Of course it was cold. He hadn't been home in almost a week and she usually kept to her side of the bed. Hange's heart was heavy as she lay on his side of the bed, trying to warm the cool sheets beneath her.

She missed the warmth, she missed the grunts she'd hear as she rolled towards him in the middle of the night after a nightmare. She missed his arms around her and his whispers of "just sleep." 

Hange went out to the living room, sat on the sofa and looked out the window. She had tried to lose herself to the clear night sky, which would help her daydream enough to tire her out. It had done the complete opposite though. 

Levi was outside. He was a taxi ride away. All she had to do was put on a coat and call the taxi. 

_I wonder if he's asleep now._

She eventually gave in. She called a taxi, grabbed a jacket out of her coat and waited outside in the dead of night. 

It took around an hour but it felt like ages. 

Being part of the patient's immediate family, she was allowed straight into his room, even beyond visiting hours. She opened the door to find him sleeping on his side, his back to the door. 

"Levi, it's me…" 

Years of fighting for his life, had made Levi a light sleeper, and Hange had expected her voice at least to have woken him up. Levi did not respond. As Hange approached the bed, she made out an empty glass with medicine wrappers inside it which Hange guessed probably had something to do with it.

She gave herself some more leeway to make noise as she moved a chair to the side of the bed and plopped herself down. 

She bent forward and pressed her forehead on his and kissed his nose. The familiar scent of her husband lingered on her nose and she smiled as she studied his face closely. For a man who had experienced enough war, violence and loss to last a thousand lifetimes, Levi somehow still looked like a child in his sleep. 

Hange put her arms on the bedside, rested her chin and stared for a while longer. 

"I love you. I'm sorry I took you for granted." 

* * *

"Hey four eyes, wake up."

Hange woke up to a hand on her head. She looked up to see Levi sitting up in bed. Despite his harsh tone of a while ago, he didn't look at all annoyed to see her. 

"You got tangled up in my tubes. I couldn't move properly."

"Sorry…" Hange rubbed at her one good eye as she made sense of what was happening.

"Why are you here anyway?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"I couldn't sleep either, kept wondering about what else you might have fucked up at home."

Having been with him long enough, Hange had already gotten used to his offensive and crude humor. She still found herself tearing up, possibly from the implication of his joke or the accumulated stress of the whole ordeal. 

"I'm sorry okay... For not knowing how to run a household... For forgetting about Luke… For you having to teach me everything." Hange tried hard not to raise her voice. Too distracted by the whirlwind of emotions that forced itself out of her though, Hange could not tell if she had been shouting.

"Hey, I think you're doing fine." Levi's voice was notably softer. "You think I would have done any better if you asked me to make blueprints for a tram that runs through the capital. It's not like you left me to do the cooking and cleaning while you were out drinking or lazing around. You work just as hard."

"Managing a household is a team effort," Hange argued.

"You have the future of Paradis in your hands. The only thing I have to manage is you and Luke."

"Did you ever feel like I was taking you for granted?" At that point, Hange mustered up the courage to look up at Levi. She managed to catch his look of surprise.

Within a second, Levi’s face softened into a subtle smile. "I don't clean the house or cook dinner for praise. I'm pretty satisfied just making sure you two don't have to worry yourself over these types of things. And to be honest, I'm just losing sleep over the fact that I can't be there to make it any easier for you."

"Are you disappointed about how I went about things while you were here?"

"I’d be lying if I said no. I only realized when this happened that I never really taught you how I did things at home.” Levi lowered his gaze. “It’s my fault."

_I should have tried to learn it too._ Hange admitted to herself. As she imagined the nights she went straight to the shower and into the bed, the times she brought Luke out for a walk on her days off while Levi cleaned the house or did laundry, Hange realized that she never really thought twice to offer to help. 

_If Levi asked for help, would I have helped him?_ Of course she would have. She would have been happy to do so. Levi never did ask for help in anything though and the few times Hange did even consider offering, she assumed he had wanted to do things on his own. 

Hange decided against another apology. The best way to give back was to improve from there on. “So I guess you’re going to have to teach me huh?” 

* * *

“Take the whole month off if you need to.” 

When the week long break Hange requested for ended, the former commander found herself back in the office with a similar request. Getting permission from the queen was easy. When it came to Armin though who would be handling a lot of the work, Hange hesitated to even ask. By then though, most of the former members of the Survey Corps had caught wind of the state of the former captain and Armin and Mikasa had promised to step up in her absence. 

“You never did take breaks except when you had Luke. After all the work you put into this, a month long break is well deserved.” 

All she needed was the blessing of her comrades to find the strength to leave the letter and say her goodbyes. They had promised at least to keep her informed on any new developments so she would at least still be in the loop when she gets back. 

As she stepped out of the office once again and into the courtyard, she let the early afternoon breeze greet her like it always did and she let all her thoughts of work wash away with it. She was going to take the whole month off and she had no intention of wasting it. ` 

Hange decided to walk home, using that time to clear out any other small bouts of hesitation or regret from her brain. _This is for your family._ Hange reminded herself too many times on the way home, it seemed like a mantra. 

She did not expect to be distracted from any doubts from work when she opened the door of her home. As she stepped into the house, she made out a figure on a chair in front of an open fridge, all of the products which were supposed to be in the refrigerator sat neatly on the dining table.

“Levi!”

He had only been discharged that morning, unable to make it to the bedroom himself, Hange had to act as his crutch the whole way. A few hours after she had helped him settle in bed, he was once again doing what he always did. 

A part of her wanted to smile, laugh at the whole situation. Her apprehensions and her commitment to taking care of her partner though, took over. “What are you doing? I told you **I’ll** be doing the chores. Just tell me what to do.”

“We’re gonna make it easier for you mommy.” It turned out Luke was next to Levi, concealed by the open refrigerator door just a second ago.

“It’s washable, so I think it’s fine,” Levi added.

Hange went directly behind Levi to get a better idea of what the two had been working on. She looked at the inside of the fridge and once again at the two boys. The different compartments of the fridge had been written on. 

_Vegetable, Dairy, Cut fruit, Meat,_

What made Hange howl in laughter as she made sense of the situation was the fact that every sign had been written by a kid. Levi had at least coached Luke on the right spelling for each label. 

As Hange turned her head a little to the side, she had to hold in a snort when she saw the messily written notes on the compartments of the refrigerator door. 

**Eggs behind cheeses. BE CAREFUL WITH TRAY.**

**Berries on the top shelf behind juices**

**Leftovers**

**EAT ME**

**COOK ME**

**Luke’s Lunch**

“What’s with you too?” Hange managed to ask as soon as she had gathered enough oxygen inside her to be able to talk again. 

“The cheeses and the blueberries went bad, I forgot to tell you about that back in the hospital.” Levi explained, so seriously, Hange almost thought he was answering her question.

“I’ll put everything back, I think you’ve given me enough signs on what to do.” Hange turned to Luke. “Don’t you have homework?” 

Luke pouted. “I wanna help…” 

“Let mommy learn. You’re too good at this already.” That was enough at least to bolster the young boy’s confidence.

“Just call if you need anything.” Luke grinned at the compliment before retiring into his room. 

“And you?” Hange glared accusingly at Levi.

“I’m staying here. You’ll need someone to coach you right?” Levi looked uncomfortable on the dining room chair that had been moved in front of the fridge. It was evident his surgical wounds were still hurting him. 

“At least let me move you to the sofa.”

With little to no prodding, Levi obliged. As Hange helped him out of the chair and toward the sofa, she noticed that he had placed all his weight on her.

“You’re tired? Does anything hurt?” 

Levi did not answer. Hange knew him long enough though to know that if he wasn’t saying anything, his answer was probably a yes. She lay him gently on the sofa. She took one of the blankets from her room and placed it on top of him. He did not protest the gesture. 

“Throw out the cheeses and the blueberries,” Levi reminded as Hange looked through the food scattered on the table.

“What if we just remove the ones with mold.”

“Just don’t risk it.” 

Hange separated the rest of the food from those Levi had singled out. “I guess I’ll just follow the compartment labels with these.” Hange gave the pile a once over then looked to Levi. 

“The rest of the eggs go in the ‘Cook Me’ compartment. Sliced strawberries in the ‘Eat Me’ compartment. Other than that you’re good.”

Hange went through the motions of it all. The labels had made the process quick and there was little to no reason for error. Levi remained silent the whole time and Hange ended up looking back at Levi multiple times to check if he had fallen asleep. Every single time, he had been staring intently back at her as she refilled the refrigerator, product by product.

“What do you think?” Hange moved out of the way of the refrigerator.

“Three out of five. Passable.” 

“I just did what you told me to do.” 

“Some of them were crooked, minus one.” 

“And the other minus one?”

“You did a shitty job with not cooking. The food I left in the fridge and the food I made you buy were supposed to last you the week. Did you eat out everyday while I was at the hospital or something?”

“I can make us some tea.” Hange brought out two tea bags and two tea cups from the cupboard. “Luke bought some more for you.” Levi liked black tea and she hoped that digression would have been enough for him to forget that particular misdeed.

“So you did eat out everyday.” Levi said matter-of-factly.

Hange let the whistle of the kettle answer the question for her. She placed the tea bags on the cup, and silently waited for the steam to rise to the top. 

Hange brought the cups of hot tea to the living room where Levi lay comfortable. “Scooch.” She regretted the command when she saw the subtle wince in Levi made as he sat up to give her space to sit. 

She gently edged herself close to Levi, placing the latter in a good position to rest his head on her lap. “I probably would have cooked more if you pointed that part out.” 

“I thought food going bad was a given.”

“I had to learn a lot. Give me a break.”

“Blueberries and cheese are expensive. I’m not letting you make that same mistake again.” 

“So adding those labels was a good idea then.” Hange took a sip of the hot tea. As she imagined the scribbles on the refrigerator once again, she smiled. “I can’t believe you let Luke do that though, his writing looked messy, even for me. Not like you to allow something like that.”

“Hey, it was a team effort.” Levi rested his hand on his side, closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Hange surmised that with the pain he was in, he probably would not have been able to bend down and write it in all the compartments himself. “So I guess from now on, I get a say on where things go too.” 

“Why not? This is _our_ house after all.”   
  


**Author's Note:**

> Feedback is very much appreciated


End file.
